One of the things that I’ve found most delightful about the growing hand-made, do-it-yourself trend has been the number of downright lovely books that have accompanied it. My favorite, which hit stores about this time last year, is Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It
This is a fantastic book for the folks who really want to begin to break away from the grocery store, but need a little bit of help making the transition. I’m particularly partial to the Rosemary and Olive Oil cracker recipe Karen included (Erin blogged about it here, if you want to see pictures and peek at the recipe).
Thanks to the nice folks at Snubbr.com, I have one copy of Jam It to give away. If you haven’t heard of Snubbr yet, it’s a site designed to help you get product recommendations and gift ideas. As someone who obsessively checks reviews prior to making purchases (large or small), I like the idea of a site that’s trying to offer another way to give and get advice on stuff. We should start a canning tools thread over there!
So, if you want a chance to win this copy of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, leave a comment sometime between now and Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. In your comment, tell me about the first time you made something from scratch that you’d only previously purchased (butter, salad dressing, pickles, etc.). If you’ve yet to jump on the homemade train, let’s hear what’s stopping you.
Let the giveaway begin!
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Love your Blog. Adding you to my favorties! I would love to win the book!
Carolyn
Knowing last summer was my last chance to really overacheive at gardening before returning to the workforce and under the influence of a book very similar to Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, I planted whatever I wanted in a huge garden. Starting with a spring Vadalia Onion Relish, through the early summer white wine pickled chinese pea pods, through the beautiful collections of zucchini and cucumber relishes and pickles, and on to the end of season Basil Tomato Jam and pumpkin conserves, I gardened and canned and pickled and jarred through (I’d have to recount for sure) I think 56 batches of jarred goods. I used every jar I’d been collecting for 10 plus years and almost every jar gifted me from the cellar of our old farmhouse. I didn’t leave the yard or the house the entire summer! After gifting everybody I know with quarts of stuff(which I’m sure are still sitting in their pantries!) I still have a refrigerator and a cupboard full of jars! It was a major accoplishment, one I’m very proud of. Maybe I’d be better off not winning–I promised my family a trip to the lake this year!
Well, I’ve never tried to pickle anything, but have been very interested in it for years. Just haven’t because of the fear of botulism
However, I have a house guest that is pickling eggs (with beets) in my fridge as I type this. So I’ve no idea how they’ll turn out. I am hopeful 
Hoping to try bread and butter pickles this summer!
I made mozzarella for the first time a few years ago and was amazed at how easy and how playing-with-a-chemistry-set FUN it was.
One of the very first items I made from “scratch” was pasta. Even though I used store bought flour, eggs and olive oil, there was no escaping the feeling I got when I worked the dough on my counter. I especially like that my husband is always eager to help me guide the pasta through our hand crank pasta maker. Its so fun and romantic to be so close in the kitchen.
The first thing I ever tried by myself was jam. So simple and good tasting! And it makes such wonderful gifts, especially when you’re a poor college student who can’t afford much. Now I don’t buy anything pre-made anymore. I love how good and easy my partner’s bagels are (he makes them once a week) and we’ve actually found a bread recipe that is fantastic even when we’re lazy and use the bread machine.
I love to make things from scratch! I don’t recall my very first thing but one of my most memerable has been ice cream! It is so decadent and it always seems like such an accomplishment!
The first time I made anything from scratch it was banana nut bread with my mother when I was much younger (5 or 6). She allowed me to complete every step solo- disastrous! I have since learned how to properly measure and guesstimate, and have a much better eye for baking
Looks lovely. I want!
I think time is stopping me the most from jumping in. And that the whole process feels a bit overwhelming until you get the hang of it.
The first thing I really remember making by myself was, of all things, bread. Yes, whole wheat honey bread. Kneading Rising and all that jazz. I don’t know why, but I got it into my head that I wanted to cook something. I was in High School and in the middle of a week long snow bread from school. I found a worn Gold Medal Flour paperback book, and skimmed through it. When I came upon the picture of the bread it took up almost a whole page and just looked so good and yummy I decided to try that. We had all the ingredients in the house. I followed all the instructions. The loaves turned out just as pretty as the picture. And when my mom came home and we cut into it, it tasted just as good as it looked. Boy was she surprised. She was also surprised the next day to come home to homemade White bread from the same book. Did I mention that each recipe made two whole loaves? I don’t remember us having much left over though.
Lately I’ve really been into making easy sauces (like caramel and butterscotch) and jaring them up. And a few months ago I discovered how easy it is to make fresh buttermilk and creme fraiche, both of which I use to buy (almost weekly! for like $10!) and now I just make my own. My husband and I just moved to a new place where we can finally have a garden, so I plan to learn how to can & jam all summer. Would love a copy of this book! Saw it last time I was at Williams & Sonoma and loved it.
When I used to live in Japan, I LOVED a drink they have everyhwere called “Iced Cocoa.” It’s kind of a glorified chocolate milk (or an iced hot chocolate), but much more cocoa-like. I absolutely loved it and one time I found a recipe (just milk sugar and cocoa) and made it for myself. I fell in love and soon I was making entire gallons at a time and storing it in the fridge for daily consumption!!
I planted my first garden two weeks ago and can’t wait to get started canning…the problem is I have no idea where to begin. M
I’ve always wanted to make my own mustard and ketchup, so even if I don’t win the giveaway, I think I’ll have to buy this book to get started!
I made my own jam a year ago. And I’ll never look back. Smuckers? Yuck.
My next thing to make? Butter. Oh yeah. I. Can’t. Wait.
I have just started to jump start some canning and this book looks divine! I would LOVE to add it to my collection. thanks!
Just recently I made American brown sugar from scratch because it’s a little tricky to find it here in Germany. I just mixed white sugar with molasses – easy peasy!
I’ve been making yogurt, farmer’s cheese, chevre, ricotta, butter (with my new butter churn from lehman’s), jams, chutneys, pickles (just dilly beans successful so far- tricky!), etc. while having access to a milkable goat and a pressure canner (for soups, tomato sauces, and meats) has been a huge motivator, i think almost all of my experiments with making things from scratch are inspired by the enthusiasm of my new boyfriend dan (not so new now- it’s been a year and a half of cheese making bliss!). he’s so psyched to eat everything i make. it helps a lot.
my new goal (for life) is to become as much like laura ingalls wilder and as little like paula dean as possible.
The day I made my first jar of jam (strawberry) was the day I decided never to buy the store junk again. A couple of months ago, I made my own butter using leftover cream, and I was ridiculously excited to watch it solidify into creamy, buttery deliciousness.
Oh, wow. I couldn’t even tell you the first thing I ever made instead of buying. My mother is a canner and baker and I (and my husband) went to The Culinary Institute of America so we’ve been doing homemade forever.
My favorite homemade items though are pickles, flavored mayos, breads and the list goes on! I love making things for my family and NOT depending on the grocery store and the limited flavors and copious amounts of salt in everything!
Great site! This is my first visit – I’ll be back!
The first time I made bread instead of buying it was a revelation. That so little effort produced bread that was sooooo much better than those plastic bags full of squishy, plastic slices was unbelievable! Now I make all our bread. When I have to buy a loaf occassionally due to time constraints, I definitely get complaints from my husband.
Pick me! I love all books about preserving!
Can’t wait to pick up a copy of that book. I’ve been eyeing it for a while, and want it all the more after this post.
I can’t remember the first from-scratch thing I’ve made, but I’ve got to tell you-
Inspired by one of your old homemade butter posts, I made some last year in my mixer. Even with saran, there was wild splashing on the counter and floor. Stupidly, I didn’t check in the drawers under the counter. Two weeks later, I discovered that my drawer of misc tools, dishes, and other kitchen paraphernalia was covered in dried, rotted milk.
I made blueberry syrup with blueberries my son and I picked at a local farm. I have my strawberries macerating to make your strawberry jam…can’t wait to taste it!
Bread – and then pickles. It has been amazing to me realizing that there are things that really aren’t that much work to make that everyone buys. I want to do more pickled things, butter.
Last summer I made raspberry jam. Who knew it was so easy?!
That is so funny: I just checked this book out of the library today, and my first project from it is going to be the crackers.
Long ago I started making mayo from scratch, and now I cannot think about buying the stuff in a jar — I’m not even sure what that stuff is. Anyway, it was such a revelation that you can make it, change the flavor (add garlic, or basil, or… use different oils, there is just so much to play with here) and just be in control of it. Potato salad, just plain old potatoes, suddenly becomes a revelation. If there is one , single empowering experience in the kitchen, it is making mayo. But fair warning: it is a gateway drug to Hollandaise!
Regards,
Tengrain
i want that
I hope I’m not too late – I’d love to win that book! The first time I canned anything was way too long ago to remember, but the first time I made CHEESE was just last year. It was Ricotta and Mozzarella, but the ricotta was best. I’ve been making it ever since, and it is way better than store-bought (unless you buy good, fresh ricotta, that’s not too bad). It is so darned easy, there’s really no reason NOT to make it.
[...] started to flow onto the market. One of the best of this first round was Karen Solomon’s Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It. It offered instruction on canning, easy home dairy items and a variety of other projects that were [...]